Blog » What Transit Maps Reveal About Cities

by Tim Newcomb For a snapshot of a city, you might opt for a postcard. But for a graphical element that speaks to the individuality of a locale, transit maps are prime for studying. Some iconic, others unheralded, transit maps offer users a fingertip guide through seeming chaos, arranging the city while holding true to its particularities. Whether using a geographical framework (like New York) or a schematic design (known as a diagram, which is used most frequently), cities often swirl those ideas together, bending train lines and inserting key landmarks to tell a cultural story and serve as a wayfinding tool.

by Tim Newcomb

For a snapshot of a city, you might opt for a postcard. But for a graphical element that speaks to the individuality of a locale, transit maps are prime for studying. Some iconic, others unheralded, transit maps offer users a fingertip guide through seeming chaos, arranging the city while holding true to its particularities. Whether using a geographical framework (like New York) or a schematic design (known as a diagram, which is used most frequently), cities often swirl those ideas together, bending train lines and inserting key landmarks to tell a cultural story and serve as a wayfinding tool.